Wilson Pickett was an American singer and composer who lived from March 18, 1941, until January 19, 2006.
Pickett was a key player in the evolution of soul music. He released more than 50 songs that reached the US R&B charts, many of which were later added to the Billboard Hot 100. His co-written songs “In the Midnight Hour,” “Land of 1,000 Dances,” “634-5789 (Soulsville, U.S.A.”), “Mustang Sally,” “Funky Broadway,” “Engine No. 9,” and “Don’t Knock My Love” are among his best-known hits.
In 1991, Pickett was honored for his contributions to songwriting and music by being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Wilson Pickett parents: Meet Lena Pickett, Wilson Pickett Sr.
Lena Pickett and Wilson Pickett Sr. are Wilson Pickett’s parents.
Wilson Pickett was one of 11 kids who grew up working on their sharecropper parents’ cotton plantation when he was born on March 18, 1941, in Prattville, Autauga County. In order to get away from his abusive mother—whom his father had divorced—Pickett relocated to Detroit in 1955 with his father. There, Pickett started his musical career by performing with the gospel group known as the Violinaires, with whom he cut a few singles for Chicago’s Chess Records and went on tour with a number of gospel luminaries.
